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2Dn Cftrfstmas 3)ap 
in tfie Scor 



tje feamt ftutfiot 



The Second Violin 

The Indifference of Juliet 



With Juliet in England 

Round the Corner in Gay Street 

Also many short stories for children 





I HAVE N T GIVEN YOU ANY CHRISTMAS PRESENT. 
WILL I DO ? " 



Christmas 

tn tjje jftflorntng 

By 
GRACE S. RICHMOND 



Illustrated by 
CHARLES M. RELYEA 




, j^age 
1008 



COPYRIGHT, 1965, BY 
THE RIDGWAY-THAYER COMPANY 



COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY 
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION 
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN 

PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1908 



Ul 



^?c 

** .. 

i : : ".::::::: 



" I haven t given you any Christmas 

present. Will I do ? Frontispiece 

PAGE 

" Stumbling over their own feet and 
bundles . . . the crew poured 
into the warm kitchen " . . 20 

" * The children! she was saying. 
They they John they must 

" ..... 28 



* Merry Christmas, mammy and 
daddy! " ..... 34 



M818M 




Dn C&nstmas SDap 
in tfu Corning 





trt 



tfje 



And all the angels in heaven do sing, 
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day; 

And all the bells on earth do ring, 
On Christmas Day in the morning. 

OLD SONG. 

/ T S HAT Christmas Day virtually 
began a whole year before 
hand, with a red-hot letter written 
by Guy Fernald to his younger sister, 
Nan, who had been married to Sam 
uel Burnett just two and one-half 
years. The letter was read aloud 
by Mrs. Burnett to her husband at 
the breakfast table, the second day 
after Christmas. From start to finish 







OP Christmas 3)ay/f&gt; thej\ 
i^ iipori bile subject, and it read 



It s a confounded, full-grown shame that 
not a soul of us all got home for Christmas 
except yours truly, and he only for a 
couple of hours. What have the blessed 
old folks done to us that we treat them like 
this ? I was invited to the Sewalls for the day, 
and went, of course you know why. We 
had a ripping time, but along toward evening 
I began to feel worried. I really thought Ralph 
was home he wrote me that he might swing 
round that way by the holidays but I knew 
the rest of you were all wrapped up in your own 
Christmas trees and were n t going to get there. 

Well, I took the seven-thirty down and 
walked in on them. Sitting all alone by the 
fire, by George, just like the pictures you see 
of "The Birds All Flown," and that sort of thing. 
I felt gulpish in my throat, on my honour I did, 
when I looked at them. Mother just gave one 
gasp and flew into my arttisVand Dad got up 
more slowly he has that darned rheumatism 
worse than ever this winter and came over 
and I thought he d srialce - my hand off. Well 
I sat down between them by the fire, and 
pretty soon I got down in the old way on a 
cushion by mother, and let her run her fingers 
through my hair, the way she used to and 
Nan, I 11 be indicted for perjury if her hand 



"SB 



On Christmas 3)ayjn thefflorninv 



was n t trembly. They were so glad to see 
me it made my throat ache. 

Ralph had written he could n t get round, 
and of" course you d all written and sent them 
things jolly things, and they appreciated 
them. But blame it all they were just 
dead lonesome and the whole outfit of us 
within three hundred miles, most within thirty! 

Nan next Christmas it s going to be 
different. That s all I say. I ve got it all 
planned out. The idea popped into my head 
when I came away last night. Not that 
they had a word of blame not they. They 
understood all about the children, and the cold 
snap, and Ed s being under the weather, and 
Oliver s wife s neuralgia, and Ralph s girl in the 
West, and all that. But that did n t make the 
thing any easier for them. As I say, next 

year But you 11 all hear from me then. 

Meanwhile run down and see them once or 
twice this winter, will you, Nan ? Somehow it 
struck me they are n t so young as they used 
to be. 

Splendid winter weather. Margaret Sew- 
all s a peach, but I don t seem to make much 
headway. My best to Sam. 
Your affectionate brother, 

GUY. 

Gay Nan had felt a slight choking 
in her own throat as she read this 
letter. "We really must make an 



On Christmas flavin 



effort to be there Christmas next 
year, Sam/ she said to her husband, 




and Sam assented cheerfully. He 
only wished there were a father and 
mother somewhere in the world for 
him to go home to. 

Guy wrote the same sort of thing, 
with more or less detail, to Edson and 
Oliver, his married elder brothers; 
to Ralph, his unmarried brother; and 
to Carolyn Mrs. Charles Wetmore, 
his other and elder married sis 
ter. He received varied and more or 
less sympathetic responses, to the 
effect that with so many little children, 
and such snowdrifts as always blocked 
the roads leading toward North Esta- 
brook, it really was not strange - 
and of course somebody would go 
next year. But they had all sent the 
nicest gifts they could find. Did n t 
Guy think mother liked those beauti 
ful Russian sables Ralph sent her ? 
And was n t father pleased with his 
gold-headed cane from Oliver ? 





OD Christmas 3)aln t 

Surely with such presents pouring 
in from all the children, Father and 
Mother Fernald could n t feel 
awfully neglected. 

"Gold-headed cane be hanged! 
Guy exploded when he read this last 
sentence from the letter of Marian, 
Oliver s wife. "I 11 bet she put him 
up to it. If anybody dares give 
me a gold-headed cane before I m 
ninety-five I 11 thrash him with it 
on the spot. He was n t using it, 
either bless him. He had his old 
hickory stick, and he would n t have 
had that if that abominable rheu 
matism had n t gripped him so hard. 
He is n t old enough to use a cane, by 
jolly, and Ol ought to know it, if 
Marian does n t. I m glad I sent 
him that typewriter. He liked that, 
I know he did, and it 11 amuse him, 
too not make him think he s ready 
to die!" 

Guy was not the fellow to forget 
anything which had taken hold of 






On Christmas Day in t 



him as that pathetic Christmas home 
coming had done. When the year 
had nearly rolled around, the first of 
December saw him at work getting 
his plans in train. He began with 
his eldest brother, Oliver, because 
he considered Mrs. Oliver the hardest 
proposition he had to tackle in the 
carrying out of his idea. 

" You see," he expounded patiently, 
as they sat and stared at him, "it 
is n t that they are n t always awfully 
glad to see the whole outfit, children 
and all, but it just struck me it would 
do em a lot of good to revive old times. 
I thought if we could make it just as 
much as possible like one of the old 
Christmases before anybody got mar 
ried hang up the stockings and all, 
you know it would give them a 
mighty jolly surprise. I plan to have 
us all creep in in the night and go to 
bed in our old rooms. And then in 
the morning See ?" 

O 

Mrs. Oliver looked at him. An 




On Christmas tDayJn thejfflgrnintr 

eager flush lit his still boyish face 
Guy was twenty-eight and his blue 
eyes were very bright. His lithe, 
muscular figure bent toward her 
pleadingly; all his arguments were 
aimed at her. Oliver sat back in his 
impassive way and watched them 
both. It could not be denied that it 
was Marian s decisions which usually 
ruled in matters of this sort. 

"It seems to me a very strange 
plan," was Mrs. Oliver s comment, 
when Guy had laid the whole thing 
before her in the most tactful manner 
he could command. She spoke 
rather coldly. "It is not usual to 
think that families should be broken 
up like this on Christmas Day, of all 
days in the year. Four families, 
with somebody gone a mother or 
a father just to please two elderly 
people who expect nothing of the sort, 
and who understand just why we can t 
all get home at once. Don t you think 
you are really asking a good deal ?" 



Oz&gt; Christmas 3)cyto 








Guy kept his temper, though it was 
hard work. " It does n t seem to me 
I am," he answered quite gently. 
" It s only for once. I really don t 
think father and mother would care 
much what sort of presents we brought 
them, if we only came ourselves. Of 
course, I know I m asking a sacrifice 
of each family, and it may seem almost 
an insult not to invite the children 
and all, yet perhaps next year 
we 11 try a gathering of all the clans. 
But just for this year honestly - 
I do awfully wish you J d give me my 
way. If you d seen those two last 
Christmas - 

He broke off", glancing appealingly 
at Oliver himself. To his surprise, 
that gentleman shifted his pipe to 
the corner of his mouth and put a few 
pertinent questions to his younger 
brother. Had he thought it all out ? 
What time should they arrive there ? 
How early on the day after Christmas 
could they get away ? Was he positive 



10 



Qp Ghrijtmas fDcyto thofflgrninq 





they could all crowd into the house 
without rousing and alarming the 



" Sure thing," Guy declared, 
quickly. " Marietta well, you know 
I ve had the soft side of her old heart 
ever since I was born, somehow. I 
talked it all over with her last year, 
and I m solid with her, all right. 
She 11 work the game. You see, 
father s quite a bit deaf now " 

"Father deaf?" 

"Sure. Didn t you know it?" 

" Forgotten. But mother d hear 
us." 

"No, she would n t. Don t you 
know how she trusts everything about 
the house to Marietta since she got 
that fall " 

"Mother get a fall?" 

"Why, yes!" Guy stared at his 
brother with some impatience. 
"Don t you remember she fell down 
the back stairs a year ago last October, 
and hurt her knee?" 





Go 



"Certainly, Oliver," his wife inter 
posed. "I wrote for you to tell her 
how sorry we were. But I supposed 
she had entirely recovered." 

"She s a little bit lame, and always 
will be," said Guy, a touch of reproach 
in his tone. "Her knee stiffens up 
in the night, and she does n t get up 
and go prowling about at the least 
noise, the way she used to. Marietta 
won t let her. So if we make a 
whisper of noise Marietta 11 tell her 
it s the cat or something. Good 
Lord! yes it can be worked all 
right. The only thing that worries me 
is the fear that I can t get you all to 
take hold of the scheme. On my 
word, Ol," he turned quite away 
from his sister-in-law s critical gaze 
and faced his brother with something 
like indignation in his frank young 
eyes " don t we owe the old home 
anything but a present tied up in 
tissue paper once a year?" 

Marian began to speak. She 



On Christmas tDcy in tfofflprDwo* 

thought Guy was exceeding his rights 
in talking as if they had been at fault. 
It was riot often that elderly people 
had so many children within call 
loyal children who would do anything 
within reason. But certainly a man 
owed something to his own family. 
And at Christmas! Why not carry 
out this plan at some other - 

Her husband abruptly interrupted 
her. He took his pipe quite out of 
his mouth and spoke decidedly. 

" Guy, I believe you re right. I 11 
be sorry to desert my own kids, of 
course, but I rather think they can 
stand it for once. If the others fall 
into line, you may count on me." 

Guy got away, feeling that the worst 
of his troubles was over. In his 
younger sister, Nan, he hoped to 
find an ardent ally and he was not 
disappointed. Carolyn Mrs. 
Charles Wetmore also fell in 
heartily with the plan.. Ralph, from 
somewhere in the far West, wrote 




jjff v 

Oz&gt; GkrjjtnxiT 3)ayfo fhefflorninp 



that he would get home or break a 
leg. Edson thought the idea rather 
a foolish one, but was persuaded by 
Jessica, his wife whom Guy 
privately declared a trump that 
he must go by all means. And so 
they all fell into line, and there 
remained for Guy only the working 
out of the details. 

" Mis Fernald " Marietta Cooley 
strove with all the decision of which 
she was capable to keep her high- 
pitched, middle-aged voice in order 
" fore you get to bed I m most 
forgettin what I was to ask you. I 
s pose you 11 laugh, but Guy he 
wrote me partic lar he wanted you 
and his father to" Marietta s 
rather stern, thin face took on 
curious expression "to hang up 
your stockin s." 

Mrs. Fernald paused in the door 
way of the bedroom opening from 
the sitting-room downstairs. She 



^ 






Go Christmas tDcyin t 



looked back at Marietta with her 
gentle smile. 

"Guy wrote that?" she asked. 
"Then it almost looks as if he 
might be coming himself, does n t it, 
Marietta?" 

"Well, I don t know s I d really 
expect him," Marietta replied, turning 
her face away and busying herself 
about the hearth. "I guess what he 
meant was more in the way of a sur 
prise for a Christmas present some 
thing that 11 go into a stockin , 
maybe." 

" It s rather odd he should have 
written you to ask me," mused Mrs. 
Fernald, as she looked out the 
stockings. 

Marietta considered rapidly. 
"Well, I s pose he intended for me 
to get em on the sly without 
mentionin it to you, an put in what 
he sent, but I sort of guessed you 
might like to fall in with his idee by 
hangin em up yourself, here by the 





ft 



On Christmas 3)ayto thejtfornina 

chimbley, where the children all used 
to do it. Here s the nails, same as 
they always was." 

Mrs. Fernald found the stockings, 
and touched her husband on the 
shoulder, as he sat unlacing his shoes. 
"Father, Guy wrote he wanted us 
to hang up our stockings," she said, 
raising her voice a little and speaking 
very distinctly. The elderly man 
beside her looked up, smiling. 

"Well, well," he said, "anything 
to please the boy. It does n t seem 
more than a year since he was a little 
fellow hanging up his own stocking, 
does it, mother?" 

The stockings were hung in silence. 
They looked thin and lonely as they 
dangled beside the dying fire. Mari 
etta hastened to make them less 
lonely. " Well," she said, in a shame 
faced way, "the silly boy said I was 
to hang mine, too. Goodness knows 
what he 11 find to put into it that 11 
fit, less it s a poker." 






OD Christmas fDayJn thejtforning 

They smiled kindly at her, wished 
her good night, and went back into 
their own room. The little episode 
had aroused no suspicions. It was 
very like Guy s affectionate boy 
ishness. 

"I presume he 11 be down," said 
Mrs. Fernald, as she limped quietly 
about the room, making ready for 
bed. "Don t you remember how 
he surprised us last year ? I m 
sorry the others can t come. Of 
course, I sent them all the invitation, 
just as usual I shall always do 
that but it is pretty snowy weather, 
and I suppose they don t quite like 
to risk it." 

Presently, as she was putting out 
the light, she f heard Marietta at the 
door. 

"Mis Fernald, Peter Piper s got 
back in this part o the house, some 
how, and I can t lay hands on him. 
Beats all how cute that cat is. Seem *s 
if he knows when I m goin to put 



Qz&gt; Christmas 3)cyin thejtfgrning 



any queer noses 
know it was Peter." 

Marietta 




voce came 

the other side of the door. "Peter 
will be all right, wherever he is. I 
shan t be alarmed if I hear him." 

"All right, Mis Fernald; I just 
thought I d let you know," and the 
guileful one went grinning away. 

There was a long silence in the 
quiet sleeping-room. Then, out of 
the darkness, came this little colloquy: 

"Emetine, you aren t getting to 
sleep." 

"I know I m not, John. I 
Christmas Eve keeps one awake, 
somehow. It always did." 

" Yes. . . . I don t suppose the 
children realise at all, do they?" 

"Oh, no oh, no! They don t 









OD Cfirjjtmas fDcyin thejtfgrniry 



realise they never will, till 

they re here themselves. It s all 
right. I think / think at least 
Guy will be down to-morrow, don t 
you?" 

"/ guess maybe he will." Then, 
after a short silence. " Mother 
you ve got me, you know. You 
know you ve always got me, dear 9 

"Yes." She would not let him 
hear the sob in her voice. She crept 
close, and spoke cheerfully in his 
best ear. "And you ve got me, 
Johnny Boy!" 

"Thank the Lord, I have!" 

So, counting their blessings, they 
fell asleep at last. But, even in sleep, 
one set of lashes was strangely wet. 




"Christopher Jinks, what a drift! 

" Lucky we were n t two hours 
later." 

" Sh-h they might hear us." 

"Nan, stop laughing, or I 11 drop 
a snowball down your neck! 




On Christmas Day fa 






"Here, Carol, give me your hand. 
I 11 plough you through. Large bodies 
move slowly, of course, but go elbows 
first and you 11 get there." 

"Gee whiz! Can t you get that 
door open ? I 11 bet it s frozen fast." 

A light showed inside the kitchen. 
The storm-door swung open, pro 
pelled by force from inside. A 
cautious voice said low: "That the 
Fernald family?" 

A chorus of whispers came back 
at Miss Marietta Cooley: 

"Yes, yes let us in, we re 
freezing." 

"You bet we re the Fernald family 
every man- Jack of us not one 
missing." 

" Oh, Marietta you dear old 
thing!" 

" Hurry up this is their side of 
the house." 

"Sh-h-h " 

Carol, your sh-h-ishes would wake 
the dead!" 



20 




STUMBLING OVER THEIR OWN FEET AND BUNDLES 

THE CREW POURED INTO THE WARM KITCHEN" 





OD Christmas tDcyfn thejtfgrning 

Stumbling over their own feet and 
bundles in the endeavour to be pre- 
ternaturally quiet, the crew poured 
into the warm kitchen. Bearded 
Oliver, oldest of the clan; stout Edson, 
big Ralph, tall and slender Guy 
and the two daughters of the house, 
Carolyn, growing plump and rosy at 
thirty; Nan, slim and girlish at 
twenty-four they were all there. 
Marietta heaved a sigh of content as 
she looked them over. 

"Well, I did n t really think you d 
get here all of you. Thank the 
Lord, you have. I s pose you re 
tearin hungry, bein past leven. If 
you think you can eat quiet as cats, 
I 11 feed you up, but if you re goin 
to make as much rumpus as you did 
comin round the corner o the wood 
shed I 11 have to pack you straight 
off to bed up the back stairs." 

They pleaded for mercy and hot 
food. They got it everything that 
could be had that would diffuse no 



1 



i 



21 




OD Christmas Day In thej^grninq 



u 



odour of cookery through the house. 
Smoking clam-broth, a great pot of 
baked beans, cold meats, and jellies 

they had no reason to complain 
of their reception. They ate hungrily 
with the appetites of winter travel. 

"Say, but this is great," exulted 
Ralph, the stalwart, consuming a 
huge wedge of mince pie with a fine 
disregard for any consequences that 
might overtake him. "This alone is 
worth it. I have n t eaten such pie 
in a century. What a jolly place this 
old kitchen is! Let s have a candy- 
pull to morrow. I have n t been 
home Christmas in let me see 

by Jove, I believe it s six seven 

yes, seven years. Look here: 
there s been some excuse for me, but 
what about you people that live near ?" 

He looked accusingly about. Caro 
lyn got up and came around to him. 

Don t talk about it to-night," she 
whispered. "We haven t any of us 
realised how long it s been." 




I 



vw 





OD Christmas tDayin t 

"We 11 get off to bed now," Guy 
declared, rising. "I can t get over 
the feeling that they may catch us 
down here. If either of them should 
want some hot water or anything 

"The dining-room door s bolted/ 
Marietta assured him, "but it might 
need explainin if I had to bring em 
hot water by way of the parlour. 
Now, go awful careful up them stairs. 
They re pretty near over your ma s 
head, but I don t dare have you 
tramp through the settin -room to the 
front ones. Now, remember that 
seventh stair creaks like Ned 
you ve got to step right on the out 
side edge of it to keep it quiet. I 
don t know but what you boys better 
step right up over that seventh stair 
without touchin foot to it." 

"All right we 11 step!" 

"Who s going to fix the bundles ?" 
Carolyn paused to ask as she started 
up the stairs. 

" Marietta," Guy answered. " I ve 



00 Chris twos 3)c/n t 




labeled every one, so it 11 be easy. 
If they hear paper rattle, they 11 
think it s the usual presents we Ve 
sent on, and if they come out they 11 
see Marietta, so it s all right. Quiet, 
now. Remember the seventh stair!" 

They crept up, one by one, each 
to his or her old room. There needed 
to be no "doubling up," for the house 
was large, and each room had been 
left precisely as its owner had left it. 
It was rather ghostly, this stealing 
silently about with candles, and in 
the necessity for the suppression of 
speech the animation of the party 
rather suffered eclipse. It was late, 
and they were beginning to be sleepy, 
so they were soon in bed. But, some 
how, once composed for slumber, 
more than one grew wakeful again. 

Guy, lying staring at a patch of 
wintry moonlight on the odd striped 
paper of his wall it had stopped 
snowing since they had come into the 
house, and the clouds had broken 



W 




ft 



QD Christmas fDcyfn t 



away, leaving a brilliant sky dis 
covered his door to be softly opening. 
The glimmer of a candle filtered 
through the crack, a voice whispered 
his name. 

"Who is it?" he answered under 
his breath. 

"It s Nan. May I come in?" 
"Of course. What sup?" 
"Nothing. I wanted to talk a 
minute." She came noiselessly in, 
wrapped in a woolly scarlet kimono, 
scarlet slippers on her feet, her brown 
braids hanging down her back. The 
frost-bloom lately on her cheeks had 
melted into a ruddy glow, her eyes 
were stars. She set her candle on the 
little stand, and sat down on the edge 
of Guy s bed. He raised himself on 
his elbow and lay looking apprecia 
tively at her. 

"This is like old times," he said. 
"But won t you be cold?" 

"Not a bit. I m only going to 
stay a minute. Anyhow, this thing 



On Christmas 3)cy/n t 






Yes, is n t 



is warm as toast. . . 
it like old times ?" 

Got your lessons for to-morrow ?" 

She laughed. "All but my Caesar. 
You 11 help me with that, in the morn 
ing, won t you ?" 

"Sure if you 11 make some cush 
ions for my bobs." 

" I will. Guy how s Lucy 
Harper?" 

"She s all right. How s Bob 
Fields?" 

"Oh, I don t care for him, now!" 
She tossed her head. 

He kept up the play. "Like 
Dave Strong better, huh ? He s a 
softy." 

"He isn t. Oh, Guy I heard 
you had a new girl." 

"New girl, nothing. Don t care 
for girls." 

"Yes, you do. At least I think 
you do. Her name s Margaret." 

The play ceased abruptly. Guy s 
face changed. "Perhaps I do," he 



26 





OD Christmas 3)cyfo t 



murmured, while his sister watched 
him in the candle-light. 

"She won t answer yet ?" she asked 
very gently. 

"Not a word." 

"You ve cared a good while, 
haven t you, dear?" 

" Seems like ages. Suppose it is n t." 

" No only two years, really car 
ing hard. Plenty of time left." 

He moved his head impatiently. 
"Yes, if I did n t mind seeing her 
smile on Tommy Gower de il take 
him just as sweetly as she smiles on 
me. If she ever held out the tip of 
her finger to me, I d seize it and hold 
on to it for fair. But she does n t. 
She won t. And she s going South 
next week for the rest of the winter, 
and there s a fellow down there in 
South Carolina where she goes 
oh, he he s red-headed after her, 
like the rest of us. And, well 
[ m up against it good and hard, 
Nan, and that s the truth." 



27 





OD Christmas 3)ayfo 



"Poor boy. And you gave up 
going to see her on Christmas Day, 
and came down here into the country 
just to - " 

"Just to get even with myself for 
the way I ve neglected em these two 
years while my head s been so full 
of her. It isn t fair. After last 
year I d have come home to-day if 
it had meant I had to lose well 
Margaret knows I m here. I don t 
know what she thinks." 

"I don t believe, Guy, boy, she 
thinks the less cf you. Yes I must 
go. It will all come right in the end, 
dear I m sure of it. No, I don t 
know how Margaret feels Good 
night good night ! " 

Christmas morning, breaking upon 
a wintry world the Star in the East 
long set. Outside the house a great 
silence of drift-wrapped hill and 
plain; inside, a crackling fire upon 
a wide hearth, and a pair of 



1 



28 




THE CHILDREN! SHE WAS SAYING. THEY THEY JOHN 

THEY MUST BE HERE! " 




OD Christmas {Day In thefflgrninp 



&lt;j 



elderly people waking to a lonely 
holiday. 

Mrs. Fernald crept to the door of 
her room the injured knee always 
made walking difficult after a night s 
quieto She meant to sit down by 
the fire which she had lately heard 
Marietta stirring and feeding into 
activity, and warm herself at its flame. 
She remembered with a sad little smile 
that she and John had hung their 
stockings there, and looked to see 
what miracle had been wrought in the 
night. 

"Fatherr* Her voice caught in her 
throat. . . What was all this ? . . By 
some mysterious influence her husband 
learned that she was calling him, 
though he had not really heard. He 
came to the door and looked at her, 
then at the chimneypiece where the 
stockings hung a long row of them, 
as they had not hung since the chil 
dren grew up stockings of quality: 
one of brown silk, Nan s; a fine 





OD (?hrijtn&gt;as fDcyJn t 



gray sock with scarlet clocks, Ralph s; 
all stuffed to the top, with bundles 
overflowing upon the chimneypiece 
and even to the floor below. 

" What s this what s this ? " 
John Fernald s voice was puzzled. 
"Whose are these?" He limped 
closer. He put on his spectacles and 
stared hard at a parcel protruding 
from the sock with the scarlet 
clocks. 

" * Merry Christmas to Ralph from 
Nan, " he read. " To Ralph from 
Nan/ he repeated vaguely. His 
gaze turned to his wife. His eyes 
were wide like a child s. But she 
was getting to her feet, from the chair 
into which she had dropped. 

"The children!" she was saying. 
They they John they must 
be here!" 

He followed her through the chilly 
hall to the front staircase, seldom 
used now, and up as rapidly as 
those slow, stiff joints would allow. 






On Christmas 3)cy/n thejfrfgrning 

Trembling, Mrs. Fernald pushed 
open the first door at the top. 

A rumpled brown head raised 
itself from among the pillows, a pair 
of sleepy but affectionate brown eyes 
smiled back at the two faces peering 
in, and a voice brimful of mirth cried 
softly: "Merry Christmas, mammy 
and daddy!" They stared at her, 
their eyes growing misty. // was 
their little daughter Nan, not yet 
grown up ! 

They could not believe it. Even 
when they had been to every room; 
had seen their big son Ralph, still 
sleeping, his yet youthful face, full 
of healthy colour, pillowed on his 
brawny arm, and his mother had 
gently kissed him awake to be half- 
strangled in his hug; when they 
had met Edson s hearty laugh as he 
fired a pillow at them carefully, 
so that his father could catch it; 
when they had seen plump pretty 
Carol pulling on her stockings as she 




On Christmas 3)ayjn thefflorninq 



sat on the floor smiling up at them; 
Oliver, advancing to meet them in his 
bath-robe and slippers; Guy, hold 
ing out both arms from above his 
blankets, and shouting "Merry 
Christmas! and how do you like 
your children?" even then it was 
difficult to realise that not one was 
missing and that no one else was 
A there. Unconsciously Mrs. Fernald 
jj found herself looking about for the 
sons wives and daughters husbands 
and children. She loved them all; 
yet to have her own, and no 
others, jus.t for this one day it 
was happiness indeed. 

When they were all downstairs, 
about the fire, there was great rejoic 
ing. They hacj Marietta in; indeed, 
she had been hovering continuously 
in the background, to the apparently 
frightful jeopardy of the breakfast 
in preparation, upon which, never 
theless, she had managed to keep a 
practised eye. 



W 




00 Christmas tDayfo ihejtfgrning 



And you were in it, Marietta ? 
Mr. Fernald said to her in astonish 
ment, when he first saw her. " How 
in the world did you get all these 
people into the house and to bed 
without waking us?" 

"It was pretty consid able of a 
resk," Marietta replied, with modest 
pride, "seein* as how they was 
inclined to be middlin lively. But I 
kep a-hushin em up, and I filled 
em up so full of victuals they could n t 
talk. I did n t know s there d be 
any eatables left for to-day," she 
added which last remark, since 
she had been slyly baking for a week, 
Guy thought might be considered 
pure bluff*. 

At the breakfast table, while the 
eight heads were bent, this thanks 
giving arose, as the master of the 
house, in a voice not quite steady, 
offered it to One Unseen: 

Thou who earnest to us on that 
first Christmas Day, we bless Thee 






OD Chris tnxzs 3)ay fn 



for this good and perfect gift Thou 
sendest us to-day, that Thou for- 
gettest us not in these later years, but 
givest us the greatest joy of our lives 
in these our loyal children. 

Nan s hand clutched Guy s under 
the table. "Doesn t that make it 
worth it?" his grasp said to her, and 
hers replied with a frantic pressure, 
" Indeed it does, but we don t deserve 

k." 

It was late in the after 
noon, a tremendous Christmas dinner 
well over, and the group scattered, 
when Guy and his mother sat alone 
by the fire. The "boys" had gone 
out to the great stock barn with their 
father to talk over with him every 
detail of the prosperous business he, 
with the help of an invaluable assis 
tant, was yet able to manage. Caro 
lyn and Nan had ostensibly gone with 
them, but in reality the former was 
calling upon an old friend of her 
childhood, and the latter had begged 



I 
i, 




MERRY CHRISTMAS, MAMMY AND DADDY!" 




On Christmas Dcyjn thejtfgrninp 

a horse and sleigh and driven merrily 
away alone upon an errand she would 
tell no one but her mother. 

Mrs. Fernald sat in her low chair 
at the side of the hearth, her son upon 
a cushion at her feet, his head resting 
against her knee. Her slender fingers 
were gently threading the thick locks 
of his hair, as she listened while he 
talked to her of everything in his life, 
and, at last, of the one thing he cared 
most about. 

"Sometimes I get desperate and 
think I may as well give her up for 
good and all," he was saying. " She s 
so so elusive I don t know 
any other word for it. I never can 
tell how I stand with her. She s 
going South next week. I ve asked 
her to answer me before she goes. 
Somehow I ve clung to the hope that 
I d get my answer to-day. You 11 
laugh, but I left word with my office- 
boy to wire me if a note or anything 
from her came. It s four o clock, and 



Of} Christmas 3)aym thejftfgrninq 



VCH 

I 



\ 



I have n t heard. She you see, 
I can t help thinking it s because 
she s going to turn me down 
and hates to do it Christmas 
Day!" 

He turned suddenly and buried h. ! s 
face in his mother s lap; his shoulders 
heaved a little in spite of himself. His 
mother s hand caressed his head more 
tenderly than ever, but, if he could 
have seen, her eyes were very bright. 

They were silent for a long time. 
Then suddenly a jingle of sleigh bells 
approached through the falling winter 
twilight, drew near, and stopped at 
the door. Guy s mother laid her 
hands upon his shoulders. "Son," 
she said, "there s some one stopping 
now. Perhaps it s ^he boy with a 
message from the station." 

He was on his feet in an instant. 
Her eyes followed him as he rushed 
away through the hall. Then she 
rose and quietly closed the sitting- 
room door behind him. 



f 
k 







On Christmas SDayin t). 






As Guy flung open the front door, a 
tall and slender figure in gray furs and 
a wide gray hat was coming up the 
walk. Eyes whose glance had long 
been his dearest torture met Guy 
Fernald s and fell. Lips like which 
there were no others in the world 
smiled tremulously in response to 
his eager exclamation. And over 
the piquant young face rose an 
exquisite colour which was not alto 
gether born of the wintry air. The 
girl who for two years had been only 
"elusive" had taken the significant 
step of coming to North Estabrook 
in response to an eloquent tel 
ephone message sent that morning by 
Nan. 

Holding both her hands fast, Guy 
led her up into the house and 
found himself alone with her in the 
shadowy hall. With one gay shout 
Nan had driven away toward the 
barn. The inner doors were all 
closed. Blessing the wondrous saga- 



37 







On Christmas 3)ayfo thejtfprnin 



city of his womankind, Guy took 
advantage of his moment. 

" Nan brought you I see that. 
I know you re very fond of her, but 
- you did n t come wholly to please 
her, did you Margaret ? " 

"Not wholly." 

" I Ve been looking all day for my 
answer. I oh I wonder if - 
he was gathering courage from her 
aspect, which for the first time in his 
experience failed to keep him at a 
distance " dare I think you 
bring it? 9 

She slowly lifted her face. "I 
thought it was so so dear of you," 
she murmured, "to come home to 
your people instead of staying with 
me. I thought you deserved what 
you say you want - 

" Margaret - - you - 

" I haven *t given you any Christ 
mas present. Will / do ? " 

"Will you do! . . . OA/"--It 
was a great explosive sigh of relief 




t 







OD Christmas fficyfo t 




and joy, and as he gave vent to it he 
caught her close. " Will you 
do! . . . Good Lord! . . . 
I rather think you will!" 

"Emeline " 

"Yes, John dear?" 

" You re not crying? " 

"Oh, no no, no, John!" What 
a blessing deafness is sometimes! 
The ear cannot detect the delicate 
tremolo which might tell the story too 
plainly. And in the darkness of 
night, the eye cannot see. 

"It s been a pretty nice day, has nt 
it?" 

"A beautiful day!" 

"I guess there s no doubt but the 
children care a good deal for the old 
folks yet" 

"No doubt at all, dear" 

"It s good to think they re all 
asleep under the roof once more, 
is nt it? And one extra one. We 
like her, don t we?" 






On Christmas fDcyin thejtfprning 




" Oh, very, very much! 19 

Yes, Guy 9 s done well. I always 
thought he d get her, if he hung on. 
The Fernalds always hang on, but 
Guy 9 s got a mite of a temper / 
did nt know but he might let go a 
little too soon. Well it 9 s great to 
think they all plan to spend every 
Christmas Day with us, is nt it, 
Emeline?" 



I 




Paul He 



THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
STAMPED BELOW 




AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 

WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
OVERDUE. 



DEC 12 1943 




FER 24 1844 


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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY 




